Seventeen-year-old Khadeen Johnson (Miss Danreg Fashions & Accessories), a student of Glenmuir High School in Clarendon, won the 2015-16 Miss Teen Jamaica contest Sunday night in a close race for the 35th anniversary title.

Johnson, who listed her hobbies as writing, reading, and art, says she wants to become a lawyer like her role model, parliamentarian K.D. Knight.

Recently, she managed to beat a field of 15 of her high school peers to win at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston. She also won a sectional prizes for Most Intelligent.

She was crowned by Miss Teen Jamaica 2014-15, Campion College sixth-former Meca-Gaye Francis, who was very dignified in passing the baton.

"It is sad to say goodbye to the crown, but it was wonderful to have been Miss Teen Jamaica," she told the audience before placing the crown on Johnson's head.

The other top-five placements went to first runner-up Rosan Samuels (Miss GK Motors), second runner-up Kimberley Stewart (Miss Lily's Beauty Barn), third runner-up Leighashley Dunbar (Miss Charles Chocolate), and fifth-placed Rene Curtis (Miss Singer).

US trip

Top prizes in the competition, which was started in 1981 as Miss Jamaica Teenager by J'Sin Promotions, was $1 million worth of scholarships from the University College of the Caribbean (UCC) in New Kingston. The winner receives a $500,000 UCC scholarship, plus a trip to the United States from the promoters. The first runner-up was awarded a $300,000 scholarship, and the second runner-up got a $200,000 scholarship.

The finals featured dub poet Keith Shepherd and singer Nekiesha Barnes, as well as aspiring deejays Ironside and Danny Stretch. The MC was Kool FM's DJ Phoenix.

The girls modelled casual and formal fashions, including some dazzling evening wear from some very enterprising designers before participating in a tense question-and-answer session, where several of them lost points, but where Khadeen Johnson emerged as a serious contender for the title and as probably the best read of the group.

All 16 finalists received trophies for participating, as well as gift baskets from Charles Chocolate and Seprod's Miracle products. Other sponsors included Singer Jamaica and GK Motors.